


We Can Make You Understand

by effyrodriguez



Category: Days of Our Lives
Genre: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-09-09 21:44:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8914027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/effyrodriguez/pseuds/effyrodriguez
Summary: With Sonny gone, Paul is determined to rekindle his friendship with Will. His efforts lead to dire consequences.





	1. Chapter 1

February 4, 2016

Chad marched into the hospital with a determined look in his eyes. Everyone moved out of his way as they watched him pass. He turned a corner and continued to walk down the hallway until he finally arrived at Kayla's office. As he stood outside her door he could hear voices from inside her office. "Here goes nothing," he whispered. He knocked at the door. "Come in," said some one within. He stepped inside and had just closed the door behind him when he spotted Kayla at her desk.

The blonde was not alone.

Paul Narita was with her.

_Of course he's here._

Kayla stared at him for a moment before turning her attention to Paul. "I'm sorry, we'll have to continue this another time."

Paul nodded. Then he got up from his seat, extending his hand out toward Kayla. They shook hands.

Be cool, Chad told himself. He offered him a small smile. Paul gave him a curt nod before walking out.

Chad looked at Kayla in feigned shock. "Wait…" He points his thumb backwards toward the door. "Was that Paul Narita?"

"Yup; one and only."

He walked over to the desk, and plopped into the swivel chair. She watched him sit across from her as she started typing information into her computer. He tilted back the chair, looped his hands behind his head and put his feet up on the desk. "Ahem!" Kayla cleared her throat noisily. He just smiled at her and she narrowed her eyes at him. His feet came off the desk and his chair straightened up. He crossed his arms over his chest. "What's his deal?"

She stopped typing and looked at him. "What do...do...you mean?" she stuttered.

"It's just…he's been here a lot lately."

"It's really none of your business, is it?" she snapped.

"Yeah, well, I'm making it my business." She glared at him. He put his hands up in defense. "Hey, I'm just looking out for my friend."

"You two...friends?" She huffed.

He snorted. "No, not him. Will." His smile dropped. "I'm worried about him." he said in a serious tone.

She cocked her head to the side. "Still don't see how that's any of your concern."

"Isn't it obvious?" She looked at him, puzzled. "They're screwing." _OK, maybe I over exaggerated all that, just a tad. Who cares? I sure don't._

Her mouth went agape and her eyes opened wide. Chad smirked as he added, "So if there's something going on, don't you think he deserves to know?"

"You know I can't discuss my patient with you."

Chad put his index finger up, gesturing for her to hold on. "I can't believe you're making me do this," he sighed and digged his hands in his pockets. She watched him warily as he pulled out a hundred-dollar bill and slid it across the desk.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Really, Chad?"

"What? I'm desperate here." She shook her head.

They looked at one another and the room became silent.

Chad studied her awhile, waiting for her answer, but he could see she wasn't going to budge. "Fine," he said, shooting up out of his seat. "I'll leave."

He walked out of the office and slammed the door shut. Kayla jumped at the harsh noise and rubbed her hands over her face. "Great, just great." she sighed.

Chad leaned his head back against the door and closed his eyes. _I guess we're going to have to do this the hard way._

He put his hands in his pockets and whistled as he strolled over to the vending machine and bought himself a Twix bar. Then he leaned his arm against the wall and settled his full weight to the side. Keeping an eye on this door, he took a bite out of the candy bar. By the time he had finished eating, she walked out of her office.

"About damn time," he muttered. He tossed the wrapper on the floor and walked casually and quietly along to her door. He took a deep breath and reached out for the door handle. But before he could open the door, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. _You've got to be kidding me._ He quickly turned around.

A petite blonde-haired young lady stood before him. Licking her lips, she cleared her throat. "Excuse me, sir? Can I help you?"

_Damn, she's hot._ "I, um….Kayla?" _Smooth, Chad, real smooth._

She eyed him curiously. "If you're looking for Kayla, she's in the back taking her lunch break," she said, adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose.

_Crap. Crap. Crap. Come on, Chad, pull yourself together._

He took a deep breath and stepped towards her until they stood very close. He noticed her breath hitch, he smiled a little.

"Are you wearing lipstick?"

She just stood there staring at him. He cleared his throat for her attention.

"Huh? Oh yeah," she mumbled, startled out of her daydream. .

"It looks nice on you." He brushed a strand of loose hair behind her ear, his fingers brushing her cheek. "Very nice." She blushed at his compliment.

"Would you like me to go get her?"

"That'd be great, thanks."

He waited until she had turned the corner and then quickly reentered Kayla's office. He glanced at her desk, where papers and files were scattered. "That will take years." he mumbled and then glanced at the computer. He eyed the door, hesitating. "Hmm, maybe I shouldn't…ah, fuck it."

He sat hunched over the computer, scrolling through the list of names. As he neared the bottom of the page, he found the file."Bingo," Chad said softly to himself. He double clicked the file and Paul's face appeared on the screen, along with his information. "What are you hiding?" he whispered to himself. His body tensed as his eyes roamed the screen. "Holy shit!" The words came out of his mouth in a shocked gasp.

* * *

 Paul lay in bed staring at the ceiling for what seemed like hours, replaying the conversation with his therapist over and over in his mind. _"It's not healthy to lock up your emotions and push everyone away from you…Once you've accepted it it'll become easier."_

His thoughts were suddenly disrupted by a loud knocking. He sighed and turned over. _They'll go away eventually._ "Tap, tap, tap." He groaned and put his only pillow over his ears. "Tap, tap, tap." "What the hell?" he muttered. He got up and padded over to the door. "What is it?" he yelled as he swung the door open.

T crossed his arms over his chest. "Nice to see you, too."

Paul's shoulders sagged, and he huffed out a breath. "Sorry."

They both stood there and looked at one another.

T shifted awkwardly on his feet. "So…can I come in?"

"Um, yeah." He stepped aside so T could enter.

T then quickly sent out a text. _Plan P is in full swing._ As he stepped further inside and looked around, he became aware of an unpleasant odor. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Dude, it reeks in here."

Paul just shrugged.

T glanced down at the floor and saw beer cans and old food scattered throughout the bedroom. There was also piles of dirty clothing on the floor. His eyes drifted over to Paul. He couldn't help but frown at the sight of him. A sheen of sweat plastered his hair to his forehead. His eyes, sunken and bloodshot. His clothes, soaked through with sweat, were sticking to his body.

"Why are you here?" Paul shouted.

"Honestly, Will sent me here. He, uh, just wanted to make sure you're okay."

Paul rolled his eyes. "Well, clearly I am…so you can go now."

"Nuh, uh, uh," T said, shaking his finger. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

"How 'bout we call him right now and tell him you came over?"

He opened his mouth to speak, then paused. Paul looked at him waiting for an answer. A hint of a smile played on his lips.

"Well?" Paul asked, impatient with his long pause.

"As good as that sounds, I made a promise and I'm not gonna break it." T said as he took a seat on the floor, pushing the clothes surrounding him to the side. He smirked up at him.

Paul sat down on the edge of his bed and let out an over exaggerated sigh. "Ugh…" Suddenly he put his fist to his mouth and began a fit of coughing.

T waited until he calmed down some. "You mind telling me what's going on?"

"It's none of your damn business."

"Well, that depends."

He threw his hands in the air, with frustration. "On what?"

"Does it have anything to do with Will and Arianna?"

"My God, you people are so nosey."

T shrugged. "You get used to it."

"And no, it doesn't involve them. I've put all that behind me now."

T nodded. "That's good. He has too," he added.

"Oh, really?" T nodded. Paul crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, then how come you're here?"

T considered a moment and then laughed. "Then again, he's probably still angry with you." Paul rolled his eyes. "Yeah, he may have overreacted a bit, but anyone would have done the same thing in his position. He's done you wrong. He knows. He's sorry."

"I need to hear him say it."

"Understandable." He sighed. "Now," he said, "Do you mind telling me what's wrong?"

Paul wrapped his arms around his stomach tightly. "I want to tell you, but I'm just not ready to talk about it yet."

He nodded. _He's obviously in no condition to talk anyway._ "Why don't you go wash up and I'll order some pizza."

"Really?" Paul asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

He shrugged. "Yeah, why not?"

"Okay, then." Paul reached down for his towel and flipped it over his shoulder. He headed for the bathroom door but stopped halfway. "Hey T." T looked up from his spot on the floor. "Thanks." He smiled.

As soon as T heard the shower running, he was up. He glanced around as if hoping he might find the answer somewhere. He noticed that the top drawer was half open, he walked over and pulled out the drawer. He rummaged about, moving the delicate clothes around. Then he spotted an orange-brown bottle with the prescription facing him. His eyes grew wide as he read the label. _That can't be right? Shit, man..._ He slammed the drawer shut as he heard the water in the shower turn off.

"I can't tell Will," he sighed. "I just can't."

 


	2. Chapter 2

February 8, 2016

Will let out a heavy sigh for the second time that night. He was in a cafe, drinking coffee at a window table with Abigail. His gaze kept drifting toward Paul and T who sat not too far away from them. He frowned as he watched the two of them laughing and shoving.

Abigail wore a frown as well as she swirled her spoon around in her coffee cup. She was bored out of her mind. Suddenly she felt him bouncing his leg up and down under the table. _I've had enough of this._

Abigail waved her hand in front of the blonde's face. "Hello! I'm right here." She glanced at the crumpled napkin on the table. When he did not respond, she flicked it at him.

"Huh?" Will asked as he turned his attention to Abigail.

She sighed. "You can sit with them if you'd like."

He pursed his lips. "Why would I want to do that?"

She gave him a knowing look. "You've been staring them down all night. What's up?"

"Oh, I don't know," he sighed. "They've been all chummy lately."

She scrunched her eyebrows together. "So?"

He shrugged. "It's weird."

She pointed an accusing finger at him. "You're jealous, aren't you?"

He shook his head. "No way. Besides, there's nothing to be jealous about. T's straight."

"Uh huh," she nodded. She glanced over at Paul, noticing the way his muscles flexed with every small movement. Her glance lowered to his legs. Tight jeans hugged his lean, muscular thighs. "With a body like his, I'm pretty sure he could turn anyone gay." Will raised an eyebrow and glared. "What? He managed to get you into bed with him." As soon as the words left her lips, she regretted them. She saw him flinch at her words. "I'm sorry. That was rude of me."

"You can be a real bitch," he gritted out.

_I suppose I deserved that._

"I know," she muttered and dropped her head in her hands. "It's just…it's Chad."

"Chad?" She nodded slowly. "What about him?"

"He's been acting really strange lately."

Biting his bottom lip nervously, Will looked at her warily. "Strange, how?"

"Ever since his visit with Kayla the other day, he's become colder, more distant." She sighed deeply. "I tried to get him to talk about it but he just won't open up to me." He nodded and looked down sheepishly. "You don't seem too surprised," she said, and a trace of disappointment was in her tone. She suddenly leaned forward. "You know something, don't you?"

Will jumped in his seat, startled. "What? Why'd you—"

"He's thinking of breaking up with me, isn't he?"

He rolled his eyes. "Not everything revolves around you, you know."

"But what if—"

"Believe me, it's nothing like that." He sighed once again "It's me."

"You?" She shook her head. "I don't understand."

"I ran into John the other day," he explained. "He said he hadn't heard from Paul since the incident." He paused. "You know, now that I think of it, no one had…anyway, he asked me to check up on Paul. I'm still pretty angry with him, so I bribed Chad and T to find out what had happened to him. They both said they didn't find anything, but now…"

"You think they're lying." He shrugged. "But, why would they lie for him?"

"I don't know." Will balled his hands into fists, a fiery twinkle in his eye. "I plan to find out, though."

* * *

 December 31, 2015

Will looked down at his daughter, sleeping soundly in her crib. Usually she'd be bouncing off the walls right about now. He reached into the crib and carefully picked Arianna up. It was then that he noticed there were patches of red on her face and neck.

He let out a big heavy sigh. "What'd I tell you about playing in the bushes." She wiggled against him and he carried her to the kitchen counter. With Ari's head resting upon his shoulder, he slowly bent down and looked inside the cabinets. "Ah! Here it is." He pulled out a tube of soothing cream. Then he moved over to the couch, and Will pulled Ari onto his lap.

Arianna slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head back to look up at him. "Da! Food."

"Okay. You wait." She pouted. He squeezed some cream out onto his hand and rubbed it on her face and neck. She squirmed from the coldness of the cream. "Just hold still, I'm almost finished." Some few seconds later, he finished. "Okay, all done now."

"Yeah!" Ari shouted and jumped out of his lap. A faint smile crossed Will's lips as he watched her run to her box of toys.

* * *

 As T neared Will's door, he noticed it was open, standing slightly ajar.

"Hello?" He spoke loudly and peeked his head in the door. T didn't see Will or Arianna. He stepped in, closed the door and glanced around. He walked over and picked up a picture frame containing a photo of Will, Sonny and Arianna.

He frowned as he looked at the picture. Will looked genuinely happy. _Why does he still have this out? It can't be healthy._ T felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. As he reached in his pocket, he dropped the picture frame. _Crap._ He bent down and picked up the object, oblivious to the fact that the door opened.

As Will quietly closed the door, he turned around as he heard heard a noise behind him. "Ah!" Will yelped and leaped back with his hand clutching his chest. "Gees,T, you scared me to death!"

T started laughing so hard he snorted. Will put his hands on his hips and glared at him.

"This isn't funny."

Tears started to fall from T's face. "I'm sorry man, I really am," said T, giggling under his breath as he fought to keep a straight face.

Will put a finger to his lips, signaling him to be silent. "I've just put Ari down for her nap."

"Oh," he nodded. "Sorry!" he mouthed silently.

Will walked over to the couch and sat down. He patted the couch gesturing T to sit down. T scrambled to sit beside him.

"What brings you here?" Will eyed him warily. Sensing that he was about to speak, he held up a hand. "Before you answer, though, can you stop smiling like that, it's creepy."

T rolled his eyes. "Anyway, to answer your first question. Chad and I are going out tonight."

He cocked his head to the side. "Okay…what does this have to do with me?"

"We thought you'd want to come with us."

Will sighed. "Well I—"

"I don't wanna hear that you're too busy and blah blah blah. Let's cut the crap, alright?" He looked at him shocked. "We're going out tonight."

"But who's gonna watch over Ari?"

"I'm sure you'll find someone." Will opened his mouth to say something, but T interrupted him. "I'm not taking no for an answer."

"But—"

T put his finger to his mouth. "Shhh." Will looked at him oddly. "You're going, okay?" Will swallowed, nodding. A big grin appeared on T's face. "Good."

* * *

 Paul watched as two kids chased one another around and around the bench. He smiled, and there was a pep in his step as he walked through the park.

_Today's the day. I can feel it. Today I'm gonna earn Will's trust back._

Suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Will pushing his daughter in her stroller. He let out a deep breath. Just keep cool.

As he walked over to them, he saw Will roll his eyes. "Look I'm having a pretty crappy day and no offense, but you are the last person I want to talk to right now."

His smile faded, and he looked away for a moment. _This isn't starting off too well. I can't just give up now. Right. I've got this._ He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He rolled his head around trying to get the kinks out of his shoulders. He opened his eyes and saw Will standing in front of him, looking at him worriedly. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. "I—" he stammered finally, cleared his throat, tried again. "I'm not looking for a fight, I just want to talk."

"Are you deaf? I don't want to talk right now." Will turned the stroller around and walked away as fast as he could, but Paul jumped in front of them. "Move," Will yelled.

"Can't," he said, "not until we settle things between us."

"You're forgiven, alright? Now, get outta my way."

Paul shook his head. "I don't believe you." Will threw his hands in the air, exasperated. "You've been ignoring me for the last five months. Do you really expect me to believe you've forgiven me?"

"Alright, alright," Will sighed. "What are your plans for tonight?"

Paul's face scrunched in confusion. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just answer the question." He grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Nothing, really." He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Long story short, I need someone to watch over Ari."

Paul pointed his thumb towards himself. "You want me to babysit your daughter."

"I wouldn't normally ask you, but no one else is available…it would mean a lot to me." He gave him his best lost puppy eyes. "Please."

_This is your chance to put things right. I mean, babysitting can't be that hard, right? Just say yes._ He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine, fine, I'll do it."

Will squealed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Well I - oomph!" Paul grunted as Will pulled him into a tight embrace. Paul managed a smile.

It was only for a few seconds before Will pulled away, blushing. He scratched the back of his head. "Sorry 'bout that. I don't know what came over me."

He shrugged. "It's fine…so, um, what time did you want me to head over?"

"Oh, sixish."

Paul nodded. "See you then." he said, then he quickly walked away. _That went well, I think._

 


	3. Chapter 3

December 31, 2015

_Stupid, stupid, stupid._ Will repeatedly banged his head against the door. _I shouldn't have agreed to this. Paul's not fit to be a babysitter. What was I thinking? No, this is all Paul's fault. He was just standing there with a cheeky grin on his face. I hate him. And his stupid perfect cheekbones._

"Ugh!" he groaned, pressing his trembling fists to his temples and squeezing his eyes shut. _Why couldn't he just leave me alone?_

His phone beeped for the tenth time since he had entered the house. _Not now, T. He was certainly persistent on making sure his plans for tonight were still secure. Wait a minute. Clearly, it's T's fault. Yeah, especially since he's the reason I'm in this mess in the first place. And then there's Zoe, she's been expecting the latest assignment to be completed by the end of the week._

_There is so much to do. Maybe I should call it off. I've still got time. T will understand…right? But then he would be disappointed in me. We haven't hung out in such a long time. And every time we make plans I've blown him off?_ He blew a strand of blond hair out of his face irritably. _Why's my life so complicated?_

He quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He scrolled through his contacts, his thumb hovering over the screen for what seemed like forever before hitting the button. _I am so going to regret this._ As the phone ringed on the other end of the line, he walked over to the kitchen counter. He held the phone between his shoulder and ear as he poured himself a glass of wine.

"Hey mom."

"How's my little Pumpkin?" Sami cooed.

He rolled his eyes. "Mom—"

"Why haven't you called me till now? I've been worried sick!"

Will flinched as she yelled in the phone.

"Well, I… uhhuh...uhhuh...Look, Mom…" He sighed and closed his eyes, listening again. "Well she's the reason I…" He raked his hand through his hair, frustrated. "Will you just let me talk!"

"William Robert Horton, don't you take that tone with me," she scolded.

He slumped his shoulders. "Sorry, Mom. But, you wouldn't let me speak."

"Yeah, you'd better be. Now, what were you saying about my favorite granddaughter."

Once again, he rolled his eyes.

Well, here goes nothing. "You see, she's the reason I called…I need your advice," he said hesitantly.

"Go on."

"T's been bugging me to hang out with him. So I finally said yes. And everything was going so smoothly but then the babysitter called in sick. So, I tried ringing Abi—"

"What about Lucas?"

"He's having dinner with Adrienne. He said it was too late to cancel."

"Some father!"

He held back a laugh. "Like you're one to talk. Anyway, since no one was available I asked Paul to."

"You did what! I'm going to kill him."

"It's really not—"

"That'll wipe that smirk off the bastard's face. Now, where should I dispose of the body…"

"Necessary—"

"The river! Nope. I tried that already. It didn't work out…"

He downed the rest of the wine and poured himself some more. "Mom, you're not listening to me."

"Trust me, I heard you loud and clear. He's got you wrapped around his little finger."

"No, it's nothing like that. He's just doing me a favor," he said, but his voice wavered.

"Uh huh. He's just going to do this without expecting a little favor in return."

"Why'd I even bother to call you? I'm nervous enough as it is! And you're not helping me deal with it by being angry at me."

"Look, sweetie, I'm not having a go at you. I'm just being real with you. I mean, do you really think that's a good idea?"

"Not really. But I haven't been able to enjoy myself. Between work and taking care of Arianna my days are busy. And when the evening rolls around, I'm half-dead and exhausted. For just one night, I want to have some fun and not have to worry about anything. And T's a really good friend. I don't want to lose him."

"Alright, alright, but keep an eye on Paul. I don't want you getting your heart broken again."

"I will I promise." He said while nodding his head up and down.

"And."

"If anything happens, I give you permission to kill him," he added, shaking his head.

"That's my boy."

* * *

 As Will stood looking at himself in the bathroom mirror, he hoped that no one else would be able to recognize the pain that seemed so evident on his face. His face had lost its brightness and energy. He had bags under his eyes. _I look like crap._ He sighed. _It's time to get over Sonny. I'm sure he's moved on and found someone else already. I'm going to enjoy myself tonight._

"Knock, knock."

"I'm coming!"

"Knock, knock."

"Give me a second, will ya?" Will exclaimed, buttoning his shirt as he started for the door.

He swung the door open. It was Paul, with a grocery bag in his hand.

Paul looked him up and down. His eyes rested on his chest. He watched as beads of water slid down his chest. Will followed his gaze and quickly began buttoning up the rest of his shirt. Paul swallowed down a lump in his throat and tore his gaze from him. "Um, hi."

Will scratched the back of his head. "Hey."

He nodded his head. "So."

"So…" Paul motioned towards the living room. "Oh, of…of course, come in," Will stammered his reply.

Paul walked past him. Will let out a sigh of relief.

Paul glanced around casually as he walked. Will closed the door and took a deep breath as it clicked shut, then quickly spun around. His eyes narrowed on the object in Paul's hand. "What's in the bag?"

"Huh?" Paul looked down at the bag. "Oh." He took the tin out of the bag. "It's just...I bought some chocolate chip cookies for Arianna."

Will nodded.

"And you," he blurted out." Will jumped, startled. "If you get hungry later."

"Well...Thanks, I guess." Will tried to smile, but it felt more like a grimace.

Paul walked toward the couch, hands dug deep in his jacket pockets. "Mind if i sit?"

"No, go right ahead."

Paul plopped down onto the couch and looked at him with a nervous smile.

Will looked sheepishly down at the ground. "I'll go get Arianna."

As soon as the door was closed, Paul put his head down in his lap. His hands were sweaty, his heart was racing. He was very nervous and hoped Will couldn't tell. _God, I'm such an idiot! How can I possibly take care of this kid? No, I can do this. I mean, I'm Paul Narita. I can do anything._ He lifted his head when he heard Will.

"You remember Paul, right?"

Paul glanced at Arianna as she shook her head and hid herself behind Will's leg. From there she popped out to look at him. He let out a small laugh.

Will tried to pull her out from his leg. She looked up at him and pouted, "I want Mandy."

Will sighed. "Well, Mandy's sick. And Paul's babysitting, just for today. Is that okay?"

"Uh huh," she nodded.

He put his hands on his hips. "Good."

Arianna ran back into her room. Paul casted a confused glance at Will. He shrugged. She came back with a tiara and handed it to Paul.

Paul gasped in feigned shock. "For me?" She nodded her head, giggling. He took the tiara from her and put it on his head.

"U a princess now."

"Oh really?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

Will couldn't help but laugh.

"Honk! Honk!"

"That's my ride." Will turned around and looked at them. Paul nodded at him. Ari was watching him with sad, anxious gaze. Then he knelt down in front of his daughter so she could look him in the eye. "Listen, you be a good girl, okay?"

She nodded and wrapped her tiny arms around him. "Luv you."

"Love you more." He smiled and tickled her sides. She giggled.

* * *

 Will opened the car door and got into the back seat.

"About damn time," Chad muttered. T nudged him in the side. "What?"

T looked back at Will and smiled. "So are you excited for tonight?"

He crossed his arms over his chest and slumped down in his seat. "Maybe if I knew where we were going, I would."

"It's a surprise." T smiled devilishly.

Chad slammed his hand on the steering wheel. "Oh, for Pete's sake, just tell him!"

Will flinched and looked at T, worried. "Abigail," he mouthed. Will nodded.

"Fine, we're going to Chez Chez," T exclaimed.

Will looked at him in shock. "Wait isn't that a gay club?"

T nodded. "Exactly."

He raised an eyebrow. "And you're both okay with that?"

"Yup!" T looked at Chad expectantly.

"Well it's not like I had a—" T elbowed him in the ribs before he could finish his sentence. "Ow! I mean, it's not a problem at all."

Will looked back and forth between the two of them and wiped his hands nervously on his jeans. "Okay then."

Silence fell upon the men.

Will drummed his fingers on his knee as he gazed out his window. T started whistling a tune, something random. In an effort to drown out the sound coming from T, Chad turned up the volume on his radio.

"Trouble, trouble, trouble," Chad sang along.

Will did a double take. T shook his head. "Really, dude?"

"What? Abigail listens to Taylor Swift all the time now."

"If you say so, dude." T looked back at Will, smiling with that wide grin of his. Will smiled as well.

* * *

 Paul's sitting on the couch, his feet up, phone in his hand, and the TV on a replay of the last Giants game.

Arianna was on the floor, playing with her doll. She suddenly stopped and threw the doll to the floor.

"I'm bored!" she huffed.

She looked up at Paul. His eyes were glued to his phone. She got up and jumped onto the couch. He made no sign of acknowledging her. She scooted a little closer and snatched the phone out of his hands. She jumped off the couch, and ran under a chair.

"Hey!" Paul shouted as he jumped off the couch.

Crouching down, he looked under the chair. She was looking back at him, smiling.

He hung his head, sighing before he looked back up at her. "Listen, I'm sorry I ignored you. But, I have to make a very important call. So why don't you give me back my phone?"

She shook her head.

"Ugh, I don't have time to deal with this." he grumbled.

His hand reached out for the phone but Ari crawled out from under the chair and jumped back onto the couch. She stood up, the phone dangling from her hand.

His face fell. "Whoa," he put his hands up in surrender. "All right, all right, you win."

She jumped up and down on the couch. "I win," she said over and over.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh, shut up already!"

Finally Arianna stopped jumping and just stood staring, shaking.

Looking at her he saw fear in her eyes. "Shit, shit, shit!" he muttered.

* * *

 Chad downed his shot and slammed the glass on the counter. "Another!"

Will and T exchanged worried glances.

He motioned them nearer with his finger. "Come here." They moved even an inch closer. He swayed on his barstool and leaned in close. "So, I've been thinking...if Will and Paul never get back together...I'd definitely do Paul."

"Well, you're in luck." Chad's eyes lit up with excitement. Will narrowed his eyes at T. "They were never together to begin with."

Chad grinned before bursting out into a fit of giggles. "Pfft, yeah right." He waved down the bartender for another.

"I think you've had enough for one day," Will said firmly.

Chad just waved his hand like he was literally brushing him off. "Lighten up, Will. I'm fine." He got closer to Will and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. He motioned toward the crowd. "Besides, tonight's about you."

T nodded. "He's right." He took a sip of his beer.

"Getting laid."

T nearly spit out his mouthful of beer.

Chad pushed Will into the crowd. "Now, off you go."

T shook his head, amused. Chad shrugged. The two of them watched as Will danced with some guy. Chad shot a grin at T before he turned back around and pulled out his phone.

T felt his pockets. "Shit."

Chad cocked his head to the side, "What's wrong?"

"My phone's inside the car."

"And that's a problem?"

"I'm meeting up with Annie later tonight. She might have called."

"Who's Annie?" Chad asked, his brow knotted in confusion.

"My girlfriend." He saw the confused look on his face. "Look, I'll explain things later." He leaned over and rested his hand on his shoulder. "I'll be right back."

Chad tapped him on the shoulder and when he turned around he was dangling his car keys in his hand.

T grabbed the keys, "Thanks." As he made his way through the crowd he called out, "Don't do anything stupid."

Chad smiled and answered over his shoulder, "No promises."

* * *

 With her back facing Paul, Arianna crossed her arms over her chest.

"Come on, Ari, don't be like that."

"Yell."

"I know, I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"Hurts," She cried out.

His face paled, but he managed to stammer sharply. "What—what—what d'you mean?"

As he took a small step forward, her shoulders slumped and she fell to the ground.

"Ari!" he screamed.

She didn't move.

He called her name again. But her body wouldn't move.

As he looked around, he broke out in a cold sweat. "No, no, no, this can't be happening."

He spotted his jacket hanging on an arm of the couch. He quickly snatched it and searched through his pockets until he found his phone. His hand shook as he put the phone to his ear. "Come on," he muttered, pacing, listening. "Pick up, pick up, pick up..."

He dropped to his knees and lifted her head gently and cradled it in his lap. After a few rings, it went to his voicemail and Paul let out a disgruntled sigh. "Damn it, Will," he muttered.

* * *

 T slumped against his seat and gave a deep sigh. He searched the entire car, seat by seat. His phone was nowhere to be seen. _I must have left it at Will's place._ He glanced down at the keys in his hand. _I'll be quick. They won't even realize I'm gone._

* * *

 Paul heard a knock at the door. _Oh, thank God!_ "Why haven't you been answering my—"

When he opened the door, he found T standing there, with shock written all over his face.

T glanced over his shoulder to the figure on the floor. He pushed past him and ran to Arianna. He could feel the heat coming off her skin. He glared up at Paul. "What the hell have you done?"

His eyes widened as he stammered, "What? Why? I—I didn't do anything! I swear!" He threw his hands in the air and started to pace. "She just collapsed."

"Bull crap," T said.

"I swear it's the truth."

"Then why the hell haven't you called for an ambulance?"

"Will would never forgive me," Paul replied, barely above a whisper.

T hung his head down, but raised it quickly. "We have to get to the hospital."

Paul nodded grimly.

* * *

 Will sneaked up behind Chad and shook out his wet hair.

"Gross!" Chad shouted.

Will stood, collar askew, shirt half out of his pants, and covered in sweat.

"Looks like someone had some fun." Will thumped him on the back of his head. "Ow!"

"Did you have fun?"

Chad nodded. "You bet I did. I even managed to get that guy's number." He grinned.

Will looked across the bar at a tall, muscled blonde. Chad winked at him, confirming that they had shared some kind of moment. The blonde nodded at him. Will stood, his mouth agape.

Laughing, Chad nudged him in the shoulder and said, "I'm everyone's type."

Will rolled his eyes.

"Beep-beep!"

Chad felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and pulled it out of his pocket. "It's T," he said.

Will scratched his head. "What? Isn't he here?"

Chad motioned him to be quiet as he answered. "Hey, T," Chad said into the phone. "Whoa, whoa, slow down. What? Is she okay?"

As soon as Will heard those words, his heart sank and his face turned pale.

Chad held the phone away from his ear. "We have to leave now," he said firmly but quietly.

Will remained silent, his expression blank.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Silence filled the cab as the vehicle sat outside the hospital.

The cab driver stared at Chad and Will through his rearview mirror as it seemed neither of them were going to leave anytime soon.

Eventually, Chad turned his head toward Will.

He was staring out the window, motionless, fists clenched tightly.

Unbuckling his seatbelt, Chad scooted closer to him and put his hand on his shoulder. "Listen, Will, I know you're upset and you have every right to be. But you need to control yourself. And as much as you want to hurt Paul, it's not worth it. It'll only make things worse." Chad said, his voice hushed. He gave his shoulder a light squeeze.

Slowly Will turned his head to look at him and saw his look of concern. He stared at him for a moment, before frowning. He shrugged off his hand and got out of the car.

"Will!" Chad called after him, but he ignored him, hurrying toward the hospital.

* * *

 Paul and T sat across from one another in the waiting room, thick tension surrounding them.

T sat in the chair with his legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles, and his arms crossed over his chest. He kept one eye on the door and the other on Paul, watching his every move.

Paul sat hunched over, face buried in his hands. He shifted, uncomfortable in the plastic chair. He looked up, caught T staring at him. He lifted his chin and held his gaze, showing he wasn't easily intimidated.

Just then, they heard shouting. Recognizing Will's voice, they both jumped out of their seats and hurried toward the front desk. As they approached the front desk they saw him pointing an accusing finger at the receptionist.

"Where's my daughter! I need to see her, please," Will screamed at the young woman. His face was bright red and his hair was plastered to his forehead.

"I need you to calm down, sir," she stammered.

"Calm down? You want me to calm down? For all I know, my daughter could be dead." He shook his head. "You're useless," Will whispered.

The receptionist's face had gone pale and she looked as if she was going to cry.

Chad came up behind Will. "Okay, that's enough," Chad said quietly near his ear and tried steering him away.

"GET OFF ME!" Will shouted and pushed him away. He glanced around the room. All eyes were on him. He felt the room spinning round him and leaned against the closest wall. "This isn't happening. I'm dreaming the whole thing." Will said putting his face in his hands and shaking his head back and forth. "It's all my fault," he muttered over and over again.

Paul felt his heart break at the sight of him. This was the opposite of what we wanted. "It's not your fault. Don't go blaming yourself." he said calmly, regret written all over his face.

Will paused when he heard Paul's voice and looked up, he said. "No! It's yours!" he shrieked, marching up to him. He banged his fists on his chest. "You had one job, Paul. But you couldn't even do that right!" He glanced up into his emotionless eyes. "You did it on purpose, didn't you? Because you think it's my fault Sonny left. And this was some sort of revenge. Are you happy now?"

Paul said nothing. He just stood there, allowing Will to take his frustrations out on him.

Will's chin quivered and a sob escaped him as he gripped Paul's shirt tightly. "I hate you!"

Paul stared at him with an angry, confused, hurt look. He managed to pull Will off him and took a few steps back.

Will fell down to his knees, tears streaming down his face. "Just go," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Chad and T turned their heads towards Paul, stern looks on their faces.

Paul put a hand to his mouth, shook his head and broke into tears. "Will, I'm so sorry," he said softly and took off running.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going," Chad shouted. He glared in his direction, "I swear, when I get my hands on him…"

Chad made to move past T but he grabbed his arm. "No, Chad," he pleaded. "Just forget about him."

"Fine, whatever," Chad huffed and went to sit down.

T quietly let out a sigh of relief before turning his attention to Will.

He remained kneeling and staring at the ground.

Slowly T approached and knelt down beside him. "Why don't we sit down?"

Will nodded weakly. T took his arm and helped him up. As they moved toward the seating area T briefly explained that the doctors were running tests on Arianna and that they were waiting on them for more information.

Will sighed, slumping into his seat, staring straight in front of him.

Chad glanced up at Will and offered him a warm, reassuring smile.

T stood beside Will, placed his hand on his shoulder.

A heavy silence hung in the air.

T glanced around the room and spotted a vending machine down the hall. "Anybody hungry?"

Chad shook his head. "Nah I'm good."

T looked at Will, but he remained silent. "I'll go get us some water," he said.

Chad nodded his head in agreement.

T gave Will one final glance, and then walked off in the opposite direction from the vending machine. He looked around the hallway as he headed towards the double doors. He glanced through the small glass windows and saw the bare wooden stairs that led up. _Worth a shot._ He shrugged and pushed open the door. When he reached the top of the stairs he saw Paul leaning against a brick wall on the balcony of the hospital. When he had come closer, he heard him sniffling.

Paul, sensing he's not alone, turned his head away from him, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "What do you want?" he huffed.

"I know I've been treating you like crap but—"

Paul pushed himself off the wall and turned to face him. "You're just trying to look out for Will. Believe me, I know. I want what's best for him too," he said, his voice breaking.

T nodded and stretched out his hand.

Paul eyed him warily.

"Can we at least call a truce—for Will's sake?"

Paul hesitated before taking his hand and shook it.

T offered him a soft smile.

He simply smiled back.

T put one hand into his jean pocket and scratched the back of his head "Look, Will's not thinking straight. You saw the state of him."

"So?"

"Don't take it personally."

Paul shrugged. "Well, either way, Will hates me, and that's not good."

"He doesn't hate you. You just need to give him some space, right now."

"What if...what if something happens?"

T's face fell when he saw the terrified look in his eyes. "Nothing's going to happen. She's going to be okay." he assured him.

"I hope you're right."

* * *

 Paul downed his drink and slammed his glass on the counter.

"Rough night?"

He turned his head towards the voice.

The guy was quite short with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a lean figure. He cocked his head at Paul, leaning against the counter with his elbows.

Paul nodded, then quickly looked away.

"I could change that." The guy smirked when Paul looked back at him. "But it's going to cost you." He glanced down at Paul's wrist at his very expensive watch. "And by the looks of it, that won't be a problem."

Paul's gaze slid up and down his body, appreciating him.

He met Paul's gaze. "So, what's it gonna be?"

He nodded once again.

A sly smile crept up the boy's face.

As they exited the bar they could hear the people counting down to midnight.

* * *

 "Horton?"

They all looked up expectantly.

The doctor approached them. "So as you know we ran several tests on her."

There was a long pause.

Chad crossed his arms over his chest. "And?"

"It would appear that she's contracted scarlet fever."

Will let out a loud gasp. "Is she..." He swallowed hard, feeling a lump form in his throat. "Is she going to be okay?"

He nodded.

They all let out a sigh of relief.

"Luckily the infection was in its early stages. She's being treated with antibiotics as we speak."

"Can I see her?" he asked hopefully, but the doctor shook his head.

"Though it's being treated, the illness is still contagious."

"Oh." Will looked away, miserable.

"There must be some way," T mumbled.

The doctor took a deep breath before responding, "Follow me."

* * *

 February 5, 2016

Paul sat in a hunched position with his arms tightly wrapped around his stomach. He had bags under his eyes and his face had the look of someone who was under immense pressure. He heard his therapist sigh but avoided making eye contact with her.

"Have you told anyone? Perhaps your parents," she asked gently.

He shook his head.

The therapist pushed her glasses up on her nose and glanced down at her notes. "You said your father's here in Salem."

He could feel his body stiffen and finally looked up to meet her gaze. "That's correct."

Her lips curled into a smile at the small improvement. "Why haven't you told him?"

"I'd only known him for a few months…We're not close." His voice faltered and he looked away, embarrassed.

She eyed him curiously before leaning forward in her chair, "Have you seen him recently?"

He nodded slowly, biting his lip nervously. "He wanted to grab some coffee and talk. He seems like a nice guy….It's just…things have been awkward between us. You know, I have this feeling…I mean he's never said it, of course, but I think he's still uncomfortable with the fact that I'm gay."

She offered him a small smile. "Maybe he just needs more time."

He shrugged again. "He doesn't even know the real me. He probably got bits and pieces of my life from tabloids. Besides, why would he want to get to know me? I ruined someone's life. It's just my luck that he happened to know him. I can tell he cares deeply for him."

"Maybe, but he took initiative and reached out to you. Don't you think there's a slight possibility that he's not bothered by the whole thing? And that he wants to be a part of your life," she questioned.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever."

"Give your father a chance."

"Why should I," said Paul, raising his voice slightly, "My life is nothing but disappointment. He'd be embarrassed. Besides, he missed out on all the good things."

"Oh, now, I'm sure that's not true."

"He missed me being born, he missed me starting school, losing my first tooth." He paused, taking a deep breath. "He wasn't there to watch me pitch my first ball. And now my professional baseball career is down the drain. So what more could he do?"

"I know things look bad for you right now, but they will get better. And your father can help you, if—"

"Even if I did give him a chance, I don't even know where to start."

"You'll have to show him he can trust you." she advised him.

"Yeah, but once he knows about..." his voice trails off. "He'll probably think differently of me."

"There must be someone you can trust," she urged.

He puffed out some air and ran his hand through his hair. "There is one person but he won't even look at me."

"It's Will, isn't it?"

He didn't reply.

She took his silence as a yes. "He'll forgive you."

"Yeah, but when?" He sighed. "It's been weeks."

"You can't rush these things. He's still healing." she said calmly.

He simply shook his head. "No, he needs to man up," he said, tightening his grip on the chair. "He's not totally innocent in all of this. He painted me as the villain. And everyone believed him." he spat.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

He let out a loud, frustrated groan.

His therapist eyed him, concerned. "Come in," she called, her voice slightly wavering.

Marlena opened the door and stepped inside. As she neared the desk, she caught the murderous look on Paul's face and paused in her steps. "Is this a bad time?" she asked as she looked between the two of them.

"No. Not at all." her colleague assured her.

Marlena looked at Paul, frowning, uncertain.

Feeling two pairs of eyes watching him, Paul became uncomfortable. "Sorry." He murmured as he got up from his seat. "I just can't do this right now." He turned and quickly ran out of the office.

 


	5. Chapter 5

February 9, 2016

Paul ran. Despite the burn in his lungs and legs, he pushed himself harder, faster. He continued down the road for a good amount of time before his legs began to feel like jelly. He paused, putting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. Eventually he looked up, the road ahead of him blurring out of vision. He put his hand to his head thinking it would pass but felt nausea rise in his throat. He tried to run, but once again bile rose in his throat. He leaned against the nearest tree, retching.

From somewhere behind him he heard the unmistakable sound of crunching snow.

"Paul?"

He turned his head slightly, a blur of blonde hair came into view. As the figure became focused he let out an annoyed sigh.

"Dr. Evans," he said between ragged breaths.

"Please, call me Marlena," she said warmly. She observed him carefully, noting the paleness of his skin. In spite of the bitter cold, he was sweating profusely. She gave him a worried look. He let out a muffled cry of pain. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" He snaps, wincing at the unexpected pain. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

He started to walk away, but Marlena moved in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. "Your body has its limits, Paul."

"I know what I'm doing." He sighed once more. "Just stay out of this."

He bumped into her, almost knocking her down.

"Paul," Marlena yelled. She watched, terrified, as he took off running.

* * *

  _"Hey, it's Tyler…but you already know that... I'd rather talk about this in person but it seems like that's never going to happen. Listen, Paul, I..."_ his words were cut off by a spat of coughing.

Paul paused the playback of the message and tossed his phone on the table. For a moment he lay there on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. Eventually he got up from the couch annoyed and groggy. Dressed in only a pair of boxers, he walked to the bathroom and splashed water on his face. He turned the faucet off and looked into the mirror. Though everything looked fine, he felt disgusted with himself. A wave of dizziness washed over him. _Breathe_ , he told himself. _Just breathe._ He closed his eyes, shaking hands gripping the edge of the sink. But he couldn't relax. Out of anger and sheer frustration, he punched the mirror. "Fuck!" he cried out, staring at the shards of glass. He sank down to the floor, sobbing.

* * *

 January 1, 2016

"Ding!"

The door to the elevator opened and Lucas and Adrienne quickly exited. As they made their way down the hall, the sound of Adrienne's heels clicking on the marble floor could be heard.

Noting the sound of footsteps, Will glanced down the hall. The color drained from his face at the sight of the pair. As his father looked around, Will turned his head away, hoping he wouldn't notice. "Crap. What's he doing here?" he mumbled.

"Who?" T looked towards the elevators. "Oh." He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I called him."

"You what?"

"I thought her condition was worse. Sorry."

Will ran his hands over his face and sighed, "That's alright. It's not him I'm worried about, though."

As soon as Lucas spotted Will, he shook his head. The disappointment was written all over his face. He approached Will, with Adrienne trailing behind him. He raised his hands up in the air in exasperation. "What were you thinking? Letting someone who's practically a stranger take care of my grandchild. Are you insane?"

"I know!" Will blurted. They looked at him shocked. "Just…listen, okay?" he said more calmly. His father sighed and nodded slowly. "I—"

"I half expected something like this might happen." Adrienne cut in.

"Excuse me?" Will said, taken aback.

"Well, it's not like you've been making a lot of good choices lately, It was only a matter of time before—"

"Adrienne!" Lucas gave her a stern look. Adrienne just shrugged unapologetically.

Will looked between the two of them before sighing, "Maybe you're right, maybe I was bound to fail as a parent. But it's not like I have any support." Lucas frowned at him. He shrugged, "Mom's halfway across the country. And you're never available."

"Your father's a very busy man, you know." Adrienne defended.

Will raised an eyebrow, amused. "You don't have to make up excuses for him."

She huffed and looked away a moment.

"Anyway as I was saying now that Sonny—"

"Here we go again," Adrienne muttered.

Will put his hands on his hips. "What?"

"Here's the part where Sonny's blamed for everything, am I right?"

He shook his head. "Actually, I—" he tried going on once again but she cut him off.

"You know what I think? This isn't the first time he's been at the house."

Lucas looked at her, confused, and cocked his head. "What are you saying?"

"He's been fooling around with Paul, once again." Will looked at her, his mouth agape. "Sonny's gone, so you took the closest thing to him." she continued.

Silence fell among them.

Then Will started laughing. "You're joking right." He continued to laugh.

"This is very serious, Will." Lucas said.

Will paused, then looked at Lucas. "You don't really believe her, right?"

Lucas sighed. "Listen, son, I—"

Will stopped moving, and his smile fell from his face. He looked towards T. "Tell them, T. Tell them that nothing's going on between me and Paul."

T shrugged. "I haven't noticed anything unusual, if that's what you mean." Will slapped his hand to his forehead. Feeling a wave of anxiousness pass over him, T cleared his throat. "But I trust him." He paused awkwardly once more, and Will motioned him to continue. "He wouldn't do something like that. He's not that type of person." T looked at Will. He nodded, pleased.

Adrienne shook her head, "Now you're dragging T into your mess. I knew I never liked you for a reason."

Will pushed his hand through his hair in frustration. "If you just came here to pick a fight, I suggest you leave."

Adrienne looked offended. She put her hands on her hips.

"He's right. Just go." Lucas said. She stared at him in disbelief. Turning on her heel, she quickly walked down the hall. "I'll call you," he shouted after her as she continued to walk towards the elevators. Once she was out of sight, he turned towards Will. "I called your mother."

Will rolled his eyes. "Why on earth would you do that?"

"She's your mother. She needs to know." Lucas glared at him. Will held his gaze without flinching.

"Maybe I should go," T said, sensing the tension.

Will shook his head. "Stay."

T swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded.

"You should go." When Lucas raised a brow, Will shrugged. "Arianna's doing fine now. So there's really no point staying."

"Fine. But if there's any change, call me."

Will nodded. "I will. I promise."

Lucas nodded slightly at him, before leaving.

* * *

 January 6, 2016

As Paul was finishing his last set, he sensed someone standing near him.

"Would you mind spotting me?"

He looked up at the guy and offered him a friendly smile. "Sure."

Paul thought the man looked familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on where he'd seen him. And that was mainly due to the fact the man's sweaty, matted hair was covering part of his face. The man pushed his sweaty hair back. Paul's face fell. The guy smirked.

Paul got up and Chad took his place. As he lifted the heavy bar he glared up at Paul, who stood looming over him. "You're pretty brave," Chad said.

Paul narrowed his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said, completely taken aback.

"Showing your face around here." Chad grunted.

"I did nothing wrong."

"So says the guy that didn't even bother to stay to see if she was alright."

"Honestly, I thought she was okay." Chad snorted, shaking his head in disbelief. "I kept checking the Salem newspaper to see if if there was any news. I figured she must have survived."

"You mean, you actually read!"

Paul could feel his anger start to boil up, but he took a few breaths and willed it down. He looked around the room. People were starting to stare at them. "I care for Will and Arianna," he finally said, choosing his words cautiously.

Chad put the bar back onto the rack and quickly sat up. "You're unbelievable, you know that." Paul gave him a confused look. "I mean, come on — you really expect me to believe that? I know your type. You don't give a shit about anything." He stood up and walked up to him so that they stood face to face. "Admit it Paul, you just wanted to get into his pants. And you tried to get through to him by using his daughter."

"No, it's nothing like that." Paul paused briefly before continuing, "I don't need to explain myself," he said harshly.

"No, go right ahead. Tell me I'm wrong." Chad challenged.

Paul shook his head.

Chad rolled his eyes, "You are pretty pathetic."

"He's intelligent, understanding," Paul began. "And I hope I haven't ruined our friendship. He's—"

"You know, I'm not buying that whole saint crap. The doctors said she had scarlet fever." Chad shrugged. "I find that hard to believe."

Paul looked at him with disgust. "You think I did something on purpose?"

"Why not? You just enjoy destroying people's lives." Paul glared at him. Chad looked around the room before lowering his voice. "There's nothing left for you here. So why don't you just leave? Look, I'll even pay for your ticket. How's that sound?"

"No, thanks."

"Suit yourself. But if you ever hurt Will again, I'll make sure you disappear for good," he growled.

Paul looked at him scared. Chad just smiled.

* * *

 February 9, 2016

Abigail blinked her eyes open and looked to her right. Chad lay beside her, his arm over her waist. Glancing past him, she caught sight of a drawer left slightly open. Carefully she picked up his arm and moved it off her.

She slowly got up from the bed and tiptoed to his drawer. Opening the drawer, she spotted a small piece of folded paper. She quickly grabbed it, but before she could unfold it she felt arms wrap around her waist.

"Hey, babe," Chad said sleepily as he moved her hair away and started to plant small kisses on her neck.

"Chad," she sighed. Distracted, she dropped the paper to the floor. He continued planting kisses on the back of her neck. "Later," she told him. He nuzzled his face against the side of her neck and breathed deep. She said his name again but he ignored her. She squirmed in his grasp. "Stop it!" He continued to ignore her. She untangled Chad's arms from her waist. "I said stop!" she yelled. She pushed him away and he fell to the floor.

He looked up at her, shocked, and rose slowly to his feet. He took a step back, putting some distance between them. "Whoa, what's gotten into you?"

She pointed an accusing finger at him. "What do you know about Paul?"

Chad started backing away. "What are you talking about?" He paused in his steps as realization dawned on him. He shook his head, eyes closing as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "You've been talking to Will haven't you?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Well?"

He shrugged. "There's nothing to tell."

Irritated, she blew a stray strand of hair from her face and narrowed her eyes. "Don't lie to me."

"I can't tell you."

She shook her head in disbelief. "Why not?"

He looked away quickly, sitting at the edge of the bed. "It's personal."

She rolled her eyes. "Since when have you ever cared about Paul?"

"I don't…it's just…it's not my place to say." She gave him an uncertain look. "Look, if Will really wants to know what's wrong with Paul, he'll just have to ask him."

Abigail slowly nodded in agreement.

* * *

 It was late in the morning by the time Will fell deeply asleep. He woke up to his alarm blaring. He let out a groan while he fumbled around for the snooze button. Pulling his blanket over his head, he felt the weight shift in the bed as his daughter laid next to him.

"Papa?"

"Hmm?" he muffled into the pillow.

"I had accident."

He removed the blanket from his head and turned his head to look at her. Her nose red, eyes puffy from crying. "It's okay, come on." he told her as he took her to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

Minutes later, he helped her get dressed in her pretty pink clothes. As he finished buttoning her coat, there was a knock at the door.

Will headed to the door. "It's Abigail."

Arianna jumped up and down with excitement.

Upon seeing her, Abigail's face lit up. She got down to her knees and Arianna jumped into her arms. They remain hugging for quite some time.

"Tough morning?" Abigail asked with a glance at Will's attire.

His cheeks turn red quickly as he was still in his pajamas.

Arianna pulled away, still smiling. "Can I get toy?"

"A toy." Abigail gasped dramatically and put her hands on her hips. "I don't know, Ari. Have you been good?"

She nodded her head. "Uh-huh. I make Papa better. Papa sad."

Abigail gave Will a worried look. He turned his head away from her.

She looked back at Arianna. "Alright, but we'd better hurry."

"Yeah!" she screamed.

Abigail gently placed her hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "I talked to Chad."

"Does he know something?"

She hesitated, then nodded. "He think it's best if you talk to Paul yourself."

He sighed. "I guess it was bound to happen eventually."

Abigail studied him for several moments. She allowed herself to linger on the large bags under his eyes. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

He nodded. "I'll be fine. Just go."

She gave him one last glance before heading out. Arianna hugged him close before she followed Abigail out the door.

He watched them till they were out of sight. He then closed the door. Suddenly, he felt his phone vibrate. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone. Zoey was calling him. He waited a moment before answering. "Hey, Zoey."

* * *

 Will entered the café and quickly scanned the crowded room. Even with people pushing, shoving he somehow managed to spot Zoey in a creamy, fur coat, sitting in the farthest corner. As he approached her, she lowered her sunglasses and raised an eyebrow.

"You're early."

"You said it was urgent."

"Why don't you sit down?" she said as she took off her sunglasses and put them in her purse.

"Uh, okay." He mumbled as he shrugged off his messenger bag and sat down. She slid a glass across the table at him. "I'm not that thirsty," She glared at him. He put his hands up a little in defense. "Alright, alright." Will took a sip of his drink, then he glanced down at the small notebook she'd set on the table in front of him. "What is that?"

She rolled her eyes. "Narita's journal. What else would it be, Will?"

"Why do you have it?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. To know someone's innermost thoughts without their permission. That's just wrong." he fired back.

She scoffed. "Oh, please. We've done worse before. Besides, nothing stays a secret forever, wouldn't you agree?" Zoey smirked and took a long sip.

Will sighed and let his shoulders slump. "But—"

"Look, let's just cut the chase, shall we? I want you to write another article on Narita. Find out what he's hiding." His face paled and he shook his head. He started to speak, but she cut him off. "Don't worry, it'll be completely anonymous." When he remained silent, she shrugged. "If you say no, I'll find someone else."

"I don't think that's a—" he began, but before he could continue she leaned forward across the small table and immediately silenced him by placing a finger on his lips.

"Just think about it, okay?" He nodded. She leaned back in her seat and studied her fingernails. Will shifted awkwardly in his seat and glanced down at the notebook. "That's your cue," she said briefly, without looking up.

He quickly got up from his seat, taking his bag with him and walked out of the café.

* * *

 "Yeah, I feel great." Paul replied, the smile evident in his tone.

The counselor nodded. "That's good to hear. Now, have you been keeping up with your journal?"

"Yes, I have. It's been helpful." he said. Then he paused. "Actually, I brought it with me." He grabbed the backpack off the floor, hefting it up on to his lap. "I thought I'd—" Paul suddenly froze.

"Paul, what's the matter?" He remained silent. "What's wrong?"

"I swear I—it's not—" he stuttered.

"It's not what?" she questioned.

"My journal...it's not here." He put his hands over his face. "No, no!"

"Relax and just breathe, okay?'

"No, you don't understand."

"I'm sure it's somewhere safe." She said calmly. "Let's just breathe." Paul nodded.

* * *

 January 1, 2016

Will whistled a tune as he stuffed his belongings into a duffle bag.

"Knock, knock, knock."

He sighed, "What now?"

He trudged to the door. When he opened the door, his jaw dropped. In front of him stood Sami, suitcase in hand.

"Surprise," she beamed.

 


	6. Chapter 6

February 11, 2016

Will was pushing an empty stroller towards his house as Arianna refused to sit in it. She was right beside him, holding his hand while the other one was carrying a Pikachu plush toy that Abigail had bought her. As they neared the door, Will paused and dug through his pockets, looking for his house keys. Arianna pulled on her father's pants leg.

"What is it, Ari?" he asked.

She pointed towards the door. "Bad man."

Will looked up and snorted, before patting her head. "Good girl."

Paul was sitting on the ground beside the doormat. He appeared to be asleep.

Even from where he was standing, Will could smell the reek of the alcohol. Suddenly a thought came to him, and he turned to face his daughter, placing his hands on his knees.

"Why don't we play a game?"

"Ok," she giggled.

"You go to your room and wait until I say it's okay to come out. But most importantly, you have to stay quiet."

She nodded. He tiptoed to the door and tried desperately to put his key in the door of the house without making any noise. Putting a finger to his lips, he ushered her inside.

Once she was far away enough from the door he slammed it shut. Paul didn't budge. Will rolled his eyes and grumbled something about how much his life sucked. Then he marched over and tapped Paul on the shoulder.

"Hey, you need to leave." After a long pause when he didn't respond, he snapped his fingers in front of his face. "Hey, Paul!"

Paul jolted awake, banging his head against the wall.

Will cringed. "Whoops," he mumbled.

Paul's eyes fluttered shut for a moment as he rested his head against the wall behind him. "You came."

Will cocked his head to the side. "Yes, well, I live here so…" He shook his head, realizing he was getting off track. "Why are you even here? And how did you get here? And…why are you looking at me like that?" He questioned as Paul was grinning up at him, his eyes glistening with delight.

"You know, you're really cute when you're flustered."

He smacked his head with his hand, then scrubbed it down his face. "Let's get you inside."

Will wrapped his arm around him, hoisting him up to a standing position. As they made their way inside Paul's phone slipped out of his jacket pocket unnoticed. Once he helped him settle on the couch, he quickly put some distance between them.

"Thanks," Paul said as he eased back against the pillow and relaxed.

"You can't stay here long." Suddenly, Will felt something underneath his foot. "What the hell?" he mumbled lifting his foot up. He glanced down, seeing the phone. He picked it up off the floor. "You see I have to make Ari dinner and then…it's just not a good time right now." he said, as he began scrolling through his phone. "You want me to call somebody? Maybe your dad or…" he glanced down at the phone noting two missed calls from someone named Tyler. "How about Tyler? Is he your friend or something?"

"Fuck no." Will looked at him oddly. Paul hunched his shoulders and stared at the floor for a moment. "No one cares about me." he mumbled.

Will looked him over, frowning. The man before him wasn't Paul. At least, he didn't act like him. It wasn't like him to get drunk like this, but then again he didn't know much about him other than the fact that he used to play for the San Francisco Giants and that he was gay. And the last time he had been that down was when he found out he couldn't play baseball anymore.

The memory flashed before his eyes.

_"It's over. I spoke with my surgeon this morning. My arm…it won't heal."_

_He could see tears forming in his eyes. He stared at him confused and afraid. "But I thought the surgery was a success."_

_"It is if you want a normal life. A normal range of motion. A normal wear and tear. I'll never be able to pitch again." Paul let out a hard sigh. "My career's over."_

Will looked him over once more and sighed. _Something's not right._

"I know this may sound a little ridiculous coming from me, but I care about you." Paul peaked his brows and gave him a disbelieving look, as if he were being unnecessarily stupid. "I could have just left you out there to freeze but I didn't." He just shrugged, gazing down at the floor once again. "And John's a great guy. I'm sure he cares about you."

"Are you done yet?" Paul said, his voice laced with pain.

Will sighed, defeated. "I guess I am."

Paul looked up at him, with tears in his eyes. "I never thought I'd say this, but I wish I never came out." He quickly wiped the tear trickling down his cheek with the back of his sleeve. "Shit." he said, feeling embarrassed for letting Will see him crying once again. "Stop crying," he told himself.

Will just stood there not knowing what to think or say.

"I'd rather be living a lie. At least I was happy then," he continued.

"No." Will shook his head. "That's not true."

"It is true! I had friends. A team that cared. A guy who I thought I was beginning to feel a connection to."

"Paul—"

"And now I have nothing," he said quietly.

Will walked over to the couch, plopping down next to Paul. "You have a father, if you are willing to give him a chan—", he paused as Paul was glaring at him. "Look, you obviously came here to tell me something." Paul tried to speak but he interrupted him. "But if you're not feeling up to it now, you can tell me in the morning."

"Does that mean—"

"Yes, you can stay here tonight."

He gave him an uneasy look. "What about Arianna?"

"I'll figure something out."

He nodded.

Will gave him a small smile.

They sat for a long time in silence.

Eventually Will pulled out his phone. Noting the time, he let out a long sigh. "I guess I'm getting takeout." Paul gave him an apologetic look. Will silently cursed himself for saying it out loud. He waived him off. "Don't worry about it."

"At least let me pay for it."

"Well, since you're offering," Will teased, causing him to laugh. He laughed as well.

The laughter stopped and they fell silent as Paul scooted closer to him. "Will I—"

"Knock, knock, knock."

Startled, Will quickly jumped to his feet.

"Were you expecting someone?" Will shook his head, his voice abandoning him. He turned back to look at Paul, a sudden realization dawning on him. _If they see me with Paul, it would look bad._

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Are you going to get that?"

"Yes, just stay here," Will told him before quickly shutting the door behind him.

He now stood face to face with Chad. "Hi," he said meekly.

Chad raised his eyebrows. "Um, hi…Is this a bad time?" he said, looking at the door.

"Pfft. No. What makes you say that?"

Chad huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "For starters, you seem pretty keen on keeping me out."

"What! No," Will said, his voice squeaking slightly at the end. "Trust me. It's nothing like that at all, Chad." Chad gave him a flat, disbelieving look. "It's just it's pretty messy in there you know with all of Arianna's toys and what not. What are you doing here anyway?" he said with a nervous laugh.

"I just wanted to make sure everything is alright. You know after your conversation with Paul." He saw Will's smile falter. "You did talk to him, right?"

"Funny you should say th—"

"He's here, isn't he?"

"Yup." He replied.

"So?"

"He hasn't told me yet. He's…uh…he's in pretty bad shape." Will admitted.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"The thing is, I feel like it's partly my fault." Will ran his hands through his hair in pure frustration. "Ugh, why am I such a bad person?"

"You're not," Chad said honestly. "I think you're actually one of the few people in this town who is not a selfish, egotistical jerk." Will snorted, shaking his head. "I'm serious."

"What about everything that happened between me and Sonny."

"What about it?" Will gave him a knowing look. "Yeah, you may have not been at your best then, but it didn't give Sonny the right to just abandon you and Arianna."

Will winced at his words, but said nothing. Eventually, he motioned toward the door. "I should get back."

"Yeah. Of course. Do you want some help?"

He shrugged. "I think I can manage on my own."

Chad nodded. "If you need anything, just call."

"Thanks."

Chad gave him a final nod before walking away.

* * *

 February 12, 2016

While she watched Paul lay sleeping on the couch, Arianna tilted her head to the side. She had been staring at him for quite some time.

"Leave him alone." Will whispered.

Ariana began to jump up and down, giggling. Paul groaned, rolled over, and pulled a pillow over his head.

"Ari, shh. Be quiet."

Will's voice penetrated his foggy mind. When his brain finally registered his surroundings Paul opened his eyes, looking around the room. Will was now chasing his daughter around the room. He let out a soft chuckle. Then, he gripped his head as he slowly sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the couch.

Will managed to settle her down and she now sat at the kitchen table. He looked over his shoulder at him. "You're up." He motioned him to come over.

Paul stayed seated a moment, then he stood up and walked over to the table. As soon as he sat down, Will handed him two aspirins along with a glass of water.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

Paul popped the pills in his mouth and took a swig of the water. Arianna began laughing again.

"Ari," Will warned, but then started laughing himself.

Paul looked back and forth between the two. "What's so funny?"

Will held out a hand, stopping him. "Okay, don't be mad but Arianna might have covered your face with marker while you were sleeping." Paul shook his head. "I swear to God, Paul, I have no idea she was doing that until it was too late." he blabbed out.

"It's alright." He looked over at her. "I guess this is payback, huh?"

Arianna smiled at him. Then she looked at Will. "Want Cheerios."

"Okay, okay," Will said, shaking his head. "I hope that's alright with you?'

"Nah, I'm not hungry." He eyed him curiously. "Honestly, I'm fine," Paul said, faking a smile.

Once Arianna finished breakfast, she rushed over to the television. Will walked over to turn on the TV and placed a movie in the DVD player.

Paul watched as a talking dog appeared on the screen. Will made his way back to the table then sat down. "Sorry about that. It's her morning routine."

"I figured as much." He rubbed his hands nervously over his knees. "I guess this is it, huh?"

"It's totally up to you. But just so you know, there's no tape recorder this time so no pressure." he joked.

Paul just rolled his eyes and sighed deeply. "I don't even know where to start."

"Whatever's most comfortable."

Paul started fidgeting with his hands. "I was pretty pissed at you after the whole 'incident' so I thought I'd blow off some steam."

"Seems reasonable."

"At a gay bar."

"Okay…what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. And that's not the point." He slammed his hand on the table, causing Will to jump. He blushed with embarrassment and put his hands back on his lap. "I met this guy."

"Tyler?"

"Yeah, him. Let's just say he's not the kind of guy you wanna meet." Will frowned. After a brief pause, Paul sighed. "He seemed okay at first, I think. I don't remember much from that night. But then after a few weeks I got a call from him. He said it was extremely urgent that I call him back as soon as possible. But I never did." Will felt bad for him and put his hand on his to comfort him. "So a few days later he left a message saying that I might want to get myself checked out…that I might be positive." Will stared at him, dumbfounded. "I was being stupid, that night. I brought this on myself."

Will stuttered, "But— I—you—how—"

"It doesn't matter," he argued.

"Paul—"

"I don't want to talk about it, anymore." Paul spat.

"Okay. I have to go." Will said, standing up suddenly.

Paul shook his head confused. "What? Why?"

"I have to make a call."

"And you can't do that here?"

"Then I'm meeting up with T later this afternoon. I have things to do you know." Will said as he began collecting his things in haste. He looked up at Paul as he remained seated. "So you'll have to leave too."

"So that's it? That's all you're go—Screw you, man." Paul said as he got up from his seat.

"That's not what I'm...Look, we can talk about this later."

"No. I should never have told you." Paul said before he walked out of the house, slamming the door extra hard on his way out.


End file.
